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Huang Lian (Coptis chinensis) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, but many people may have heard of it and know it is particularly bitter because of the famous saying “A mute eats Huang Lian – has bitterness but cannot express it.”
Huang Lian is often used in combination with Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis), Da Huang (Rheum palmatum), Zhi Zi (Gardenia jasminoides), Mu Xiang (Aucklandia lappa), and Ban Xia (Pinellia ternata), which can easily confuse many people. Today, I will briefly explain the differences between them.
01Different SourcesHuang Lian
This product is the dried rhizome of the Ranunculaceae plant Huang Lian (Coptis chinensis), San Jiao Ye Huang Lian (Coptis trifolia), or Yun Lian (Coptis deltoidea).The above three are commonly referred to as “Wei Lian”, “Ya Lian”, and “Yun Lian”. It is harvested in autumn, removing the fibrous roots and soil, then dried and the remaining fibrous roots are removed.
Da Huang
This product is the dried root and rhizome of the Polygonaceae plant Da Huang (Rheum palmatum), Tang Gu Te Da Huang (Rheum tanguticum), or Yao Yong Da Huang (Rheum officinale).It is harvested in late autumn when the stems and leaves wither or before sprouting in early spring, removing the fine roots, scraping off the skin, cutting into pieces or sections, stringing them together to dry or drying directly.
Huang Qin
This product is the dried root of the Lamiaceae plant Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis).It is harvested in spring and autumn, removing the fibrous roots and soil, sun-drying, and then removing the coarse skin before drying.
02Different Functions and Indications
Huang Lian
[Properties and Channels]Bitter, cold.Enters the Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder, and Large Intestine meridians.
[Functions and Indications]Clears heat and dries dampness, drains fire and detoxifies.Used for damp-heat obstruction, vomiting with sour regurgitation, diarrhea, jaundice, high fever with delirium, excessive heart fire, irritability and insomnia, palpitations, blood heat with nosebleeds, red eyes, toothache, diabetes, carbuncles, and sores; externally used for eczema, damp sores, and ear discharge. Jiu Huang Lian is good for clearing heat from the upper jiao. Used for red eyes and oral ulcers. Jiang Huang Lian clears the stomach and stops vomiting. Used for cold-heat counterflow, damp-heat obstruction, and fullness with vomiting. Yu Huang Lian soothes the liver and stomach and stops vomiting. Used for liver-stomach disharmony and sour regurgitation.
Da Huang
[Properties and Channels]Bitter, cold.Enters the Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, Liver, and Pericardium meridians.
[Functions and Indications]Promotes bowel movement and breaks up accumulations, clears heat and drains fire, cools blood and detoxifies, dispels stasis and promotes circulation, and resolves dampness and reduces jaundice.Used for excess heat accumulation and constipation, blood heat with nosebleeds, red eyes and throat swelling, carbuncles and sores, intestinal abscess and abdominal pain, blood stasis with amenorrhea, postpartum stasis, traumatic injuries, damp-heat diarrhea, jaundice with red urine, dysuria, and edema; externally used for burns and scalds. Jiu Da Huang is good for clearing heat and toxins from the upper jiao, used for red eyes and throat swelling, and gum pain. Shu Da Huang has a milder purgative effect and detoxifies, used for fire toxin sores and ulcers. Da Huang Tan cools blood, transforms stasis, and stops bleeding, used for blood heat with bleeding symptoms.
Huang Qin
[Properties and Channels]Bitter, cold.Enters the Lung, Gallbladder, Spleen, Large Intestine, and Small Intestine meridians.
[Functions and Indications]Clears heat and dries dampness, drains fire and detoxifies, stops bleeding, and calms the fetus.Used for damp-warmth, summer heat, chest fullness and nausea, damp-heat obstruction, diarrhea, jaundice, lung heat cough, high fever with thirst, blood heat with nosebleeds, carbuncles and toxic sores, and fetal restlessness.
Therefore, Huang Lian is paired with Huang Qin (which is also very bitter), both herbs are used to clear heat and dry dampness. Huang Lian is paired with Da Huang (a classic bitter-cold herb, which is also bitter), both herbs are used to drain heat.
Friendly Reminder: Huang Lian, Da Huang, and Huang Qin are all bitter and cold in nature, and should be used strictly according to medical advice; do not self-medicate.
This article was compiled by Yonggang Yinpian (YGYP2014) from the internet, and the original author cannot be verified. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion. Thank you for your cooperation.
Image Source: Shetu Network
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